Protesters gather outside InterContinental hotel demanding Awami League ban

A section of protesters from the Shahbagh “mass” gathering have moved towards the intersection outside the InterContinental Dhaka Hotel, where they have begun demonstrating separately.

From around 9:15pm on Saturday, several small processions emerged from the Shahbagh crowd and marched to the new location.

Upon arrival, 10 to 12 separate groups sat in circles on the road, shouting slogans including calls to ban the ruling party.

On an adjacent road leading to the chief advisor’s residence State Guest House Jamuna, a large number of police personnel were seen deployed, keeping watch over the developing situation.

Earlier at 7:30pm, Hasnat Abdullah, chief organiser of the National Citizen Party (NCP), issued a one-hour ultimatum to outlaw the Awami League as a political party.

Roughly an hour and a half after the ultimatum, around 9pm, the Shahbagh protest site began to see groups breaking off into small processions.

Many marched to the area near the InterContinental hotel before returning. By 9:15pm, several groups had settled down at the hotel intersection.